The Rams will visit their southern neighbors next season, as the NFL confirmed Wednesday that the Rams will play a “home game” against Kansas City at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.

A date has not yet been announced, and the full 2018 NFL schedule likely will be released in late April. In 2016 and 2017, the NFL’s Mexico City games were played in mid-November.

The Rams have been obligated to give one home game to the NFL’s International Series because they are playing in a temporary stadium (the Coliseum) until their new home in Inglewood is completed in 2020. The Rams played in Twickenham, England, in 2016 and 2017.

In a statement released by the Rams, owner Stan Kroenke said, “Southern California and Mexico share strong historic and cultural ties, and this game will provide an opportunity to celebrate the special connection between these two regions. It is great to be participating in the NFL’s international games again and working with the league to grow the game abroad.”

The Rams have never played a game in Mexico. Estadio Azteca, which opened in 1966, has a capacity of 87,000 and is considered the home stadium of Mexico’s national soccer team. It also hosted part of the 1968 Summer Olympics.

This will be the third regular-season NFL game played in Mexico City. Oakland beat Houston there in 2016 and New England beat Oakland last season.

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.